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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. net — after costs
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a document
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — for catching
  15. file — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mate — a friend
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com